Bioingeniøren (Oct 2018)
Health behaviors among blood donors
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to assess health behaviors (tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical activity) among blood donors and to examine the extent to which their health behavior patterns reflect those of the general Norwegian population. Methods: Donors (n=1488) at Akershus University Hospital Blood Bank completed a questionnaire that requested information about demographics and health behaviors. Results: Smokers were older and had a low level of education. Only 8.6% were smokers (~7% males and 10% females), less than the corresponding figure for the general population (~22% for both genders). Characteristics associated with snus-users were that they were younger (18-35 years old) and more often males (18%) than females (3%). The corresponding numbers for the general population was 21% and 6%, respectively. Groups that consumed alcohol ≥3 times a week were males, older (51-69 years old) and with higher levels of education. Those with higher physical activity (30 min ≥3 times a week) tended also to be males, older and higher educated. Similar findings are reported in national surveys. Conclusion: Compared with the general population, the blood donors in this study, on average, had a low prevalence of smoking, were low-frequency alcohol consumers, were more physically active, and more educated. This is mainly due to the so-called “healthy donor effect” which leads to the selection of healthy persons for blood donation, although educational differences may also partly explain the findings.
